IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM Second Edition RAYMOND FRANZ Former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses COMMENTARY PRESS ♦♦♦ ATLANTA ♦♦♦ 2007 A1 Front material 1 12/5/06, 2:07 PM Abbreviations of Bible translations referred to in this book: ASV American Standard Version AV Authorized (King James) Version JB The Jerusalem Bible LB The Living Bible NAB New American Bible NEB The New English Bible NIV The New International Version NRSV The New Revised Standard Version NW The New World Translation PME Phillips Modern English RSV The Revised Standard Version TEV Today's English Version Wherever possible, and for the sake of authenticity, an effort has been made within this book to present quotations from other publications by direct photocopies. Since certain of these publica- tions may go back as far as ninety years in the past, the quality of the type may not always be of the highest standard. SECOND EDITION, First printing 2007 Copyright © 2007 by Raymond Franz All rights reserved First edition 1991 Second printing 1999 Third printing 2002 Published by Commentary Press P. O. Box 43532, Atlanta, Georgia 30336 ISBN 0-914675-17-6 www.commentarypress.com A1 Front material 2 12/5/06, 2:21 PM Contents Foreword 1 1 The Search for Christian Freedom 8 2 The Channel of God 16 3 Centralized Authority 38 4 The Recurring Pattern 69 5 The Faithful and Discreet Slave 125 6 Salvation by Faith, Not Works 179 7 From House to House 207 8 Legalism—Opponent of Christian Freedom 237 9 Blood and Life, Law and Love 286 10 Shepherds of the Flock 312 11 The Misuse of Disfellowshiping 348 12 Indoctrination and Subordination 391 13 Argumentation and Manipulation 432 14 A People for His Name 489 15 The Greatness of the Good News 524 16 An Appealing Promise, Unfulfilled 555 17 The Challenge of Christian Freedom 614 18 A Congregation of Free People 655 Afterword 695 Appendix 715 Index 729 A1 Front material 3 12/5/06, 2:07 PM Foreword 1 Foreword EVERAL YEARS have passed since my resignation Sfrom the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the body which directs and controls internationally the worship and, to a remarkable degree, the thoughts, speech and very lives of the millions of members of that religious movement. The events leading up to that resignation and the subsequent events that produced my excommunication from the move- ment are already detailed in an earlier work, Crisis of Conscience. That book, in its original 1983 edition, ended with these words: I am grateful to have been able to make available information that I feel others have a right to hear. There is much more that could be said, perhaps that needs to be said to give a complete picture. But whether time, life and circumstances allow for saying it or not, I am content to let the results of what has now been said rest in God’s hands. I was then 61 years of age. In the two decades that have passed, I have received thousands of letters and telephone calls from ev- ery part of the earth. Many of those communicating were former Witnesses, nearly as many were still associated with the organi- zation. They represented virtually the entire range of organizational levels. The communications have come from persons who had held or, in some cases, were yet holding such positions as pioneer, spe- cial pioneer, missionary, ministerial servant, elder, city overseer, circuit overseer, district overseer, and branch coordinator. Several hundred of those writing or phoning had at one time been mem- bers of the Watch Tower headquarters staff in Brooklyn, or of the 1 A2 Foreword 1 12/5/06, 2:07 PM 2 IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM staffs of its branch offices in other countries, or had served as for- eign missionaries. In what follows, I will quote from a few of the letters received. The purpose is not for self-commendation, but to show the concerns expressed, what kind of approach appealed to those writing, and the heart qualities this revealed about the per- sons themselves. The expressions as a whole made plain that the information supplied in Crisis of Conscience had filled a particular need. The discussions of the Governing Body, its doctrinal and decision- making processes, and the method of development of the written material on which all members feed are all shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. Many Witnesses, including elders and others in positions of responsibility, felt serious concerns, but found it difficult to “put all the pieces together.” Crisis of Conscience supplied facts pre- viously inaccessible to them. These evidently served as a “cata- lyst” bringing together the elements of the problems they had dis- cerned within the organization and helping them understand why those problems existed. The information had the result of freeing them from a false sense of guilt created by the concept that their service to God must be through an organization, that is, specifi- cally through the Watch Tower organization. It served to dispel the feeling of being cut off from God solely because of being cut off by, or having separated from, that organization. Illustrating this is a letter from a man in Australia who, together with his wife, had spent forty very active years with the Watch Tower organization and because of being unable to accept certain of the organization’s dogma and policies was pronounced “disas- sociated” in 1984. He wrote: I have been requested by family members to write to express their deep gratitude for the tremendous help Crisis of Conscience has given us all in clarifying and broadening our understanding of issues which have caused us concern and distress over many years. For holding views which were tolerant of our position [as no longer associated with the organization], my son and his wife were disfellowshiped from the movement in 1986. This book has made a major contribution in holding us together as a family during the worst crisis of our lives which began with our alienation from the movement, and has helped us to stand on our own feet in the spiritual sense and make moral decisions based on our own integrity instead of that of the movement’s policies. A2 Foreword 2 12/5/06, 2:07 PM Foreword 3 A young woman who had spent many years as a full-time “pio- neer” and had later been a Watch Tower headquarters staff mem- ber, reveals the difficulty that transition from being a devoted “or- ganization member” to living in a truly personal relationship with God can bring. Writing from Pennsylvania, she says: Your account of what transpired organizationally as well as personally was not only an eye and heart opener for me, but also confirmed much of what I have felt throughout the years. Before reading your book I was not aware of the great influence the organization had in my own life, even during the time of my [subsequent] disassociation. Before, I felt so lost, so unworthy of anymore having a personal relationship with Jehovah and Christ Jesus because I no longer had the organization. Now for the first time in a very, very long time I feel free to worship Jehovah through Jesus apart from the organization. I can now approach Jehovah in prayer and be his Servant. The tears flowed from my eyes and the ache has finally been lifted from my heart. Her following paragraph contains complimentary remarks about the way book was written. In harmony with what I stated earlier, I include it for only one reason and that is because it illustrates something that has been true of so many of those writing—that they are not in favor of vindictive literature against Jehovah’s Witnesses and that, rather than animosity, they retain an affection toward those still in that organization. Her letter continues: I was very much impressed with the manner in which you wrote your book. The love you had and still have for the brotherhood comes through. Your expressions were not bitter or vindictive, but merely presented the facts as kindly and lovingly as was possible. During my association with the organization I met some truly wonderful, extraordinary people and many of my experiences were memorable and happy. Much of what I have been taught through the organization is Bible-based and still imbedded deep in my mind and heart. For these things I have great appreciation. However, I too have seen and felt the effects in my own life and that of others when organizational laws dictate to people’s conscience thereby superceding the Bible. This concept has played havoc with the lives of men, women and children alike. A letter from another woman, writing from the midwestern part of the United States, illustrates some of the “havoc” experienced: A2 Foreword 3 12/5/06, 2:07 PM 4 IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM I left the organization in 1980, although I just merely didn’t go to meetings. Wouldn’t you know, it couldn’t be just that. My mother wrote a letter to me in ’81 stating that she could no longer associate or socialize with me because I did not attend meetings. Of course, my brothers followed suit. Our daughter was killed in January 1983. Mother did not come to the funeral and sent no condolences. I am raising my daughter’s four children and have learned the hard way who my true friends are. People that I did not even know expressed sympathy and helped me with the children. They gave money, time and anything they could to help.